Traditional methods of delivery of multimedia data to end users fall into two categories: 1) broadcast industry methods and 2) computer industry methods. Broadcast methods (including motion picture, cable, television network, and record industries) generally provide storage in the form of analog or digitally recorded tape. The playing of tapes causes isochronous data streams to be generated which are then moved through broadcast industry equipment to the end user. Computer methods generally provide storage in the form of disks, or disks augmented with tape, and record data in compressed digital formats such as DVI, JPEG and MPEG. On request, computers deliver non-isochronous data streams to the end user, where hardware buffers and special application code smooths the data streams to enable continuous viewing or listening.
“Streaming media” is now considered to be a term of art and defines the capability to download multimedia files in real time (or “near real” time) and play the file on an end-user device, such as through a set-top box on a television or on a computer display device.
In the current state of the technology, it is possible to also download advertisements (or other media) to end users once the video or other presented material in the stream is completed. The need to “wait” until the end of the program thus limits the number, as well as the duration of advertisements that can be presented to end users.
Thus, a need remains in the art for an arrangement capable of inserting other video sources into a streaming media download.